Weedless fishhook



Kalamazoo, State of Michigan, have invent# seemed oei. 2s, 1924.

PATENT GFFICE.

EL G. RUSSELL AND TILDEN ROBB, F KALAMAZOO, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR T0SHAKESPEARE COMPANY,` OF KALAMAZOO, MICHIGAN.

'WEEDLESS FISHHOOK.

Application led September 14, 1922. Serial No.v 588,149.

To all 'whom t may concern:

Be it known that we, SAMUEL G. RUSSELL and TILDEN Roma, citizens of theUnited States, residing at the city and county of ed certain new anduseful Improvements in Weedless Fishhooks, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to improvements in weedless fish hooks.

The main object of this invention is to provide an improved weedlessfish hook to which a bait such as a live frog or pork rind may beeffectively attached, the hook fbeing supplorted and guarded as it isdrawn through t e weeds or lily pads so as to effectively receive thestrike of -a fish and, at the same time, the attached bait iseffectively protected and guarded so that it is not likely. to be tornfrom the hook.

A further object is to provide an improved weedless hook having theseadvantagesin which the arts are economical .to produce and assemb e.

Objects pertaining to details land economies of-'our invention willdefinitely appear from the detailed description to follow.

We accomplish the objects of our invention byv the devices and meansdescribed in the following specification. The invention is clearlydefined 'and pointed out in the claims.

A structure which is -a preferred embodiment of our invention is clearlyillustrated in the accompanying drawing forming a part of thisapplication, in which.:

Fig. I is a plan view of our improved weedless hook.

Fig. II is a side elevation thereof.

Fig. III is a side elevation of the main and auxiliary hooks prior tothe attachment of the other parts thereto.

Fig. IV is an enlarged detail section on a line corresponding to line4-4 of Figs. I and II showing details of the guard attachment.

Fig. V is an enlarged detail section on a line -5 of Figs. I and IIshowing details of the guard.

Fig. VI is a side elevation of our im- ,proved hook as a feathered hook,the fea- In,the drawing the sectional views are` taken looking in thedirection of the little arrows at the ends of the section lines andsimilar numerals of reference referto similar parts throughout theseveral views.

Referring to the drawing, we provide a main liook 1 and an auxiliary orbait attaching hook 2. These hooks are provided with straight shankportions 3 and 4 respectively attached at their forward ends by the loop5 providing a draft attaching eye, the hooks and their Shanks beingformed integrally.

The main hook has a downwardly curved 'body portie-n 6 at the rear ofthe auxiliary hook. The barbed points 7 and 8 of the hooks are directedmainly in the line of draft, the point 7 being slightly deflected tobetter receive the strike of the fish. The point 8 of the hook is in theplane of the superposed Shanks 3 and 4.

The elongated weight 9 is molded upon the curved body 6 of the hook andpreferably extends from a point adjacent the auxiliary hook to thebottom of the main hook, the main portion of the weight being below thebody of the hook. The bait attaching plate or cross piece 10 is securedat the rear of the weight, preferably by'molding it in the weight whichis, in practice, formed of lead or a lead composition.

The rearwardly diverging guard arms 11 are secured to the bifurcatedcoupling memv ber 12 which embraces the Shanks 3 and .4 and is securedthereto by the pivot 13, the pivot hole 14 being formed by the Shanksadjacent the eye. A portion of the hole is formed 'in each shank so thatthey are not materially weakened by forming the pivot hole. Thesuperposed shaiiks are preferably soldered together as indicated at 15.The coupling member 12 has a raised portion 16 normally resting upon thekShanks. The arms have an abrup-t downward offset 17 near their frontends and are cured to the coupling member as by the solder 18 so thatthe point of the auxiliary hook is effectively guarded.

We preferably provide a link 19 having an eye 20 at its rear end engagedwith the eye of the hooks and an eye 21 at its front end adapted toreceive the line. A spoon# like spinner 22 is rotatably mounted on thisdraft link.

B this arrangement of parts the hooks are th eifectively guarded so thatthey are not likely to engage weeds.v The hpoks are kept in an uprightposition to effectively recelve the strike of the ish and also toprotect the bait such as a frog, mmnow or rk rind, as may be desired.The attaching plate or cross piece 10 has holes therein for conveniencein tying the bait to the hook.

By forming the hook with a downward curve therein as described andhaving the oint of the hook lie substantially in the ine of draft, theguard arms are normally Supported with a minimum of angle whichfacilitates drawing the hook through the weeds, the guard arms beingless likely to engage the weeds than is the case where they stand ou-tfrom the hook: at a greater angle. In Fig. VI we Show our improvementsas embodied in feathered hooks and in this embodiment the auxiliary orbait attaching hook 2 is omitted and the feathers secure to the shank ofthe hook; otherwise the hook is the same as in the embodiment described.Our improved weedless hook is simple and economical in its parts and, atthe Same time, is stron and durable in use.. It is very effective or thepurpose for which 1t 1s designed.

I-Iaving thus described our invention what we claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a weedless hook, the combination of a main hook and an auxiliarybait attaching' hook each provided with straight superposed Shanksjoined by a loop at their front ends providing a draft eye, the mainhook having` a downwardly curved body portion at the rear of theauxiliary hook, an elongated Wei ht molded upon said body hook and exteng rearwardl from a point adjacent the auxiliary hoo to the bottom of thecurve, there being a bait attaching cross piece at the rear end of theweight attached to the hook thereby, a guard comprising a. bifurcatedcoupling member pivoted to the Shanks adjacent the said eye to embraceand normally rest upon the Shanks, there being a ivot hole for thecoupling membery pivot ormed between said Shanks, and a pa1r ofrearwardly diverging arms mounted at the.

rear end of said couplin member to extend upwardly and rearwar lytherefrom, said arms having abrupt downward offsets at their front ends,so that the point of the auxiliary hook hes within the plane of thearms.

2. In a, weedless hook, the combination of a vmain hook and an auxiliarybait attaching hook each provided with straight superposed Shanks joinedby a loo at their front ends providing a draft eye, t e main hook havinga downwardly curved body portion at the rear of the auxiliary hook, aguard comprising a bfurcated coupling member pivoted to the Shanksadjacent the said eye to embrace and normally rest upon the Shanks,there belng a pivot hole for the cou ling member pivot, and a pair ofrearwar ly diverging 3. In a weedless hook, the combination of a mainhook and an auxiliary bait attaching hook each provided with straightSuperpoSed Shanks joined by a loop at their front ends providing a drafteye, the main hook having a downwardly curved body portion at the rearofI the auxiliary hook, an elongated wei ht molded upon said body hookand exten ing rearwardl from a point adjacent the auxiliary hoo to thebottom of the curve, there being a bait attaching cross piece at therear end of the weight attached to the hook thereby, a guard comprisinga bifurcated coupling member pivoted to the Shanks adjacent the Said eyeto embrace and normally rest upon the Shanks, and a pair of rearwardlydiverging arms mounted on said coupling member to extend upwardly andrearwardly therefrom.

4. In a weedless hook, the combination of a main hook and an auxiliarybait attaching hook each provided with straight superposed Shanks joinedby a loo at their front ends providing a draft eye, t e main hook havinga downwardly curved body portion at the rear of the auxiliary hook, aguard comprising a bifurcated coupling member pivoted to the Shanksadjacent the Said eye to embrace and normally restv upon the Shanks, anda pair of rearwardly diverging arms mounted on said coupling member toeX-.

tend upwardly and rearwardly therefrom.

5. In a weedless hook, the combination of a hook provided with a doubledshank providing a draft eye and a flat guard support, a guard comprisinga coupling member bifurcated to embrace the sides of Said flat guardsupport and ivoted thereto adjacent Said eye to normal y rest upon theshank, there, being a member pivot ormed between the members of theShank, and a pair of rearwardly diverging arms mound on said couplingmember to extend upwardly and rearwardly therefrom.

6. In a weedless hook, the combination of a hook provided with a doubledshank proivot hole for the coupling viding a draft eye, the members ofthe shank and d yarms mounted on said coupling at the rear of the eyebeing in contacting sumemiozr perimposed relation, a. guard eomprisinga. In witness whereof, we have hereunto set 10 biurcated coupling memberpivoted to said our hands and seals.

" shank to normally rest thereon, there being a pivot hole for thecoupling member ivot SAMUEL G. RUSSELL. [L eL] formed between themembers of the s TILDEN ROBB. [L 5.]

